7 Quick Takes Friday {#9}

1.)  I just made an appointment to see a urologist next Tuesday morning.  Ever since my THIRD kidney stone episode nearly two weeks ago, I've had some ongoing, related symptoms and I think that I have not actually fully passed that stone.  Ugh.  I really hope I don't require some sort of  horrible intervention.  My general way of doing things is to wait stuff out and NOT see a doctor (oh how I hate going to the doctor!), but I'm wanting to know what's going on, if I have more stones to pass etc.  It's a little frustrating because I had a CT scan done in the ER and was told I had no more.  Well, obviously THAT was not the case considering the fact that I passed (or at least partially passed) two more in the following days.  Ever since that first time, I have been drinking water like a madwoman.  I average 9-10 glasses per day.  No joke.  I like the idea that I'm being consistently healthy about what I drink, but I DON'T like the resulting many, many trips to the bathroom that result.  :)


2.)  It feels as though I've lost my homeschooling groove.  To be honest, I think it started when I began having my health issues.  We were in a good routine, but then that got disrupted, and I'm having a hard time getting back into it for some reason.  Ultimately I think I, and the kids, have gotten a bit lazy.  It seems the recipe for a great day or week of homeschooling includes getting up and getting going in the morning, having things done by lunchtime at 11:30 or noon.  But I've been dragging and so have the kids.  I'm planning to change this and reinstitute some structure around here, because I don't like how things are going right now.


3.)  Speaking of kids, my son Biniam won an award at school yesterday!  Each week, one child in his Kindergarten class is chosen to receive this award, which can be earned for various things.  His yesterday was for "always trying your best."  He.was.so.ex.ci.ted.  The MOMENT I showed up in the afternoon, he RACED over to tell me he won an award.  Honestly I was so, so proud of him.  I know all the kids will get one over the course of the year, and it's not the Nobel Peace prize or anything, but honestly...it really meant a lot to him, and made me so happy.  He's a great kid, but due to early childhood trauma that has resulted in some ADHD-ish issues, he can be more distractable than the average Kindergartner (if that's possible!)  He's also not particularly academically advanced.  He'll get there, but it's just not his time yet.  So for him to win an award for always trying his best, well, that makes this mama very, very proud.  It's hard to imagine your child winning an award at school for anything better than that.  Isn't that what we want from all of our kids, afterall?  And, it's true.  Biniam's nothing if not enthusiastic and willing to try.  Thinking about how he began his life and how far he's come makes it all the more sweet.  One of the many major blessings of adoption.


4.)  What is the deal with these Silly Bands?  Do your kids have them?  Do they swap them with friends?  My kids are only at school ONE DAY A WEEK and they are crazy for these!  Anna got one from a friend, Yosef did too, Biniam scored TWO (but gave one away to his buddy yesterday)...what is up?  Where do you even buy these?  It's hilarious because I'd read some article recently about Silly Bands being all the rage and then lo and behold, my own kiddos are coming home proudly sporting them on their wrists.  They want to buy a pack, but yeah, I have no idea where you would get them.  I also have no idea if I want to buy them, because I can only imagine that they would get scattered around my house and make a huge mess.


5.)  Yesterday when we were leaving the kids' school, Biniam said goodbye to--and hugged--a classmate.  Who happened to be a girl.  One thing you need to know about this little guy is, he's quite affectionate.  We used to think he had signs of attachment issues, but I think our attachment is actually okay, he's just a hugger.  We've set some boundaries with him and he's happy to oblige.  Anyway, yesterday when he did that, the girls dad joked to his other kids who were standing there, "We'll have to keep our eye on him" or something like that.  I don't know if he didn't realize I was there, or didn't care if I heard, but I was SO embarrassed.  The dad wasn't mad or anything, but he didn't seem accustomed to friendly people like my son.  Biniam likes having friends and giving them hugs.  It has NOTHING to do with gender or romance.  Really.  I try to remind him to ASK FIRST about the hugging, but being the impulsive child that he is, he sometimes forgets.  If someone isn't wanting the hug, he doesn't force it or anything.  He just happily doles them out.  Funny thing is a couple of weeks ago, a mom told me something like, "I think your son is enamored with my daughter."  I almost burst out laughing.  Really.  I just replied, "Yeah, he's really friendly."  It was funny because this is not someone I know very well, therefore she must have noticed Biniam interacting with her child and ASSUMED that he was really into her.  Which I'm sure he was--it's not that he's insincere--but he treats everyone that way.  Boys too.  His "best friend" in his Kindergarten class is a little boy that he talks about all the time and held hands with at the berry farm.  At any rate, it's all pretty innocent and I wanted to tell the dad, "Look, he's FIVE.  He's friendly.  And tactile.  I can assure you that if he could, he'd be giving out hugs like candy."  Instead I slunk away, making a mental note to tell Biniam NOT to hug kids at school.  Lest people get the wrong idea.  About a five year old.  (Incidentally I myself am NOT a huggy, touch-feely sort of gal.  I think Biniam probably SHOULDN'T be hugging kids at school, because not everyone wants to be hugged or touched.  But to imply that it's anything more than friendliness is just silly.)


6.)  Do you have any plans for the weekend?  I do.  An all-day adoption training tomorrow that I momentarily, blissfully forgot about.  I was about to say I DON'T have plans, but I do.  Bummer.  My wonderful, sweet friend has offered to watch my four bigger kids for us so we can attend.  I am soooo grateful!  It's our last training and we positively have to be there.  I have to tell you that I'll be so happy when it's done.  The adoption agency, which overall we have been less than pleased with, actually does a great job putting these on.  The information, which is for first-time adoptive parents, is excellent.  But it creates such a hardship for us because we have FIVE KIDS.  (And we're NOT first-time adopters.  I could be GIVING these presentations.  NOT because I'm so great, but I've read the books, know the research, and don't need practice responding to people when they say, "where are your kids from?")  So we've had to find people to watch them for the various trainings (well, all except Mary, who comes along, even though our social worker at one point tried to say that might be against the rules and suggested we call the office to find out what we "should do".  I refused.  Mary's still nursing, and is not disruptive, so they can deal with it.  :)  )


7.)  I've gotten more vigilant about bathing my kids lately.  No clue why.  I like having freshly bathed little ones, but by the end of the day, I'm so wiped out.  But I've been making myself be better about it and am so happy.  Now it's more a part of our routine and it doesn't feel like "more work" so much anymore.  ***I need to clarify that I WASN'T neglecting their hygiene previous to this new leaf I've turned over, but if I let a couple of days (or three) go by without a bath, I didn't freak out.  Now though I would, because it's every other day for all five of 'em.  If I could, I'd do it every night, but I'm not ready for that yet.  Maybe soon.  Then I'd be a REAL overachiever.  And I'm really looking forward to when my three oldest can bathe themselves--but so far, Anna is just not competent in getting all the soap rinsed out of her hair, so baths are still a mommy job around here.  And by "bath", I guess I mean shower--all my kids get in the tub, I turn the shower on, and bathe them that way. Well, except for Mary, who gets a regular bath so she can splash and play with the toy sharks.  She loves it!


BONUS 8.)  Yesterday I had some soda (for the first time in weeks).  Which contained caffeine.  (Also the first time I've had it in weeks.)  And, as a result, I had a HORRIBLE night's sleep last night, and felt all anxious.  I hate when I do that!  Seemed like a treat at the time, but then I paid for it later.  Really I'm paying for it TODAY, because I'm EXHAUSTED.  Perhaps a nap is in my future?  Oh, how I hope so!  We were thinking about going to the pumpkin patch today with our homeschool group, but that is just not going to happen.  (I'd already decided against it before I had the rough night's sleep.)  We need a day to be home, I think, re-finding our routine and just relaxing.  Hopefully we can still make it to the pumpkin patch sometime this season!



*If you want to do your own "7 Quick Takes Friday", you can link up over at Conversion Diary.  I hope you have a great Friday!